Patronus Practice
by just-jilyy
Summary: ONESHOT. "A Patronus is a reflection of your soul. When two people are soul mates, their Patronus forms will reflect that." What will happen when Lily Evans fails to produce a Patronus, and she is forced to work with James Potter until she can master the subject?


**Authors Note: **Hello there! It's been an awfully long time since I've had the time (and the inspiration!) to sit down and write! However, I'm back at it after a few years hiatus and I am happier than ever. Along with this One Shot, I have one story I am currently working on and one other story that is in its planning stages. I'm really excited about both!

Anyways, you dear lovely readers you, I am so happy to be back and I hope that you find my writings to be as worthwhile as I used to be. Please, feel free to read and review. I always love to hear any and all feedback!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters, settings, or figures in this story.

**Patronus Practice**

**October 1977**

Lily Evans was a bright student. Some would even argue that she was the brightest in her class. So why was it that she was struggling so much with one silly little exercise? It was the second week Professor Merryweather was making them practice their Patronus forms and Lily could not seem to produce one no matter how hard she tried.

Groaning, Lily sat back in her chair, placing her head in her hands. Even Marlene, who would be the first to admit Defense Against the Dark Arts wasn't her strongest subject, was able to produce a wispy little otter that floated around the her head before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Lily couldn't get more than a puff of smoke out of the tip of her wand.

And of course there were the Marauders—Potter, Black, Remus, and Peter—who were taking up a corner in the back of the classroom, laughing raucously as their fully formed, bright white Patronus figures ran around them. Lily ignored them, annoyed that the most obnoxious group in the school was having such an easy time with something that she was struggling with so much.

Frustrated, Lily let out a loud sigh. She knew that being able to create a Patronus was important, especially because she wanted to become an Auror when she was out of school. The ability to created a strong Patronus was the difference between life and death, especially if she ever encountered a Dementor.

"Lily, you're thinking too hard about it." Marlene whispered as she took a seat next to her. Merryweather wasn't paying attention to them, but they didn't want to draw her attention either. "You just have to relax and let it come to you."

Lily rolled her eyes. "How am I supposed to let _it _come to me when I don't even know what _it_ is?"

"Evans! McKinnon!" Merryweather shouted before Marlene could respond. She marched to the desk they were occupying, her hands on her hips. "I don't see a Patronus from either of you."

"Sorry Professor." They said in unison, both standing up.

"Well, let's see them then."

Lily looked at Marlene, who winced in sympathy before turning to Merryweather.

"Expecto Patronum!" Marlene exclaimed, her face scrunched up in concentration. Lily watched as a fluid, silvery substance poured out of Marlene's wand, forming itself into an otter before floating around the three of their heads.

"Very good McKinnon. With a little work, that will prove to be a strong Patronus. Now, go join another group and keep practicing."

Marlene smiled, shooting Lily another apologetic look, and took off to join Amos Diggory and a few other students who were trying to get their Patronus forms to do tricks like the Marauders' forms were.

"Now you Evans. Let's see what you've got." Merryweather turned back to Lily, raising her eyebrow.

"I can't produce one, Professor." Lily mumbled, not quite able to meet her eye.

Merryweather paused, looking shocked. "You can't produce a Patronus?"

Lily shook her head. "I only get the slightest puff of smoke, then nothing. I've even practiced on my own."

Merryweather nodded. "The Patronus is a hard thing to master, Miss Evans. Don't be too hard on yourself."

Lily met her eyes, trying hard to keep her eyes from tearing up. "Professor, I _need_ to be able to make a Patronus. I'm going to be an Auror, its something I have to master!"

"If you don't mind staying behind for lunch, I know a student who can help you master the spell." Merryweather said, a slight smile on her face.

"Of course! I'll do anything." Lily nodded vigorously. "Thank you, Professor, I won't let you down."

Merryweather smiled. "I trust you won't, Miss Evans."

With that, Merryweather began making her way around the classroom again, heading towards the back of the room where the Marauders were taking residence. Lily let out a sigh, feeling relived. Merryweather could have made her practice in front of the whole class, where she would have felt like a failure when she couldn't produce anything but a laughable puff of smoke. And she trusted Merrweather would find her a suitable tutor—preferably someone kind like Remus, despite his involvement with Potter and Black, he was a nice bloke.

As she sat there, contemplating who she would be working with during lunch, the bells chimed, signaling the end of the period. Marlene came over to gather her things, but Lily remained seated.

"Aren't you coming?"

"Merryweather is having me stay to practice the spell."

"Alone?"

"No, she said she knew a student who could help me. Probably Remus, maybe Amos."

Marlene nodded. "I'll save you some lunch, then. Have fun practicing!"

Lily waved after her as she jaunted off. She remained in her seat as the class began to empty. She fiddled with her hair, thinking about the task she had ahead of her. Hopefully she didn't make a fool of herself. What if there was something wrong with her, and that's why she couldn't make a Patronus?

Lost in thought, she didn't hear the footsteps that were approaching her.

"Hullo Evans."

Lily jerked her head back. Her eyes traveled up, wide with shock when they met the hazel eyes of one James Potter.

_No! There was no way. Potter? Potter was the one Merryweather wanted her to work with?_

Lily sat there, not knowing what to say. She was frozen in place, staring at Potter.

"Is there a problem, Miss Evans?" Merryweather questioned as she walked up beside James.

Lily looked over at her, a strained smile on her face. She avoided looking at James. "No, Professor. No problem."

"Good. I trust that Mr. Potter will help you with the formation of your Patronus. I'll be expecting to see a demonstration next class, Miss Evans." Merryweather smiled, oblivious to the tension between her two students. "Now, I'm off to lunch. Good luck!"

Merryweather exited the classroom and Lily watched in silence as the door shut behind her.

James cleared his throat. "Er…I suppose we should get started then."

Lily snapped her gaze back to the boy standing in front of her. Of all the people that could have been assigned to help her, James Potter was the chosen one? Was Merlin out to get her? The boy was a menace. Lily had withstood years of his obnoxious pranks and ridiculous requests for a date from her. He was an arrogant, bullying toerag and she rather tried to avoid him at all costs. Obviously, that wasn't working out for her just then.

"Forget it. I'll practice with Marlene this evening." Lily said, rising to her feet and reaching for her books.

"Evans." James said, his tone serious. Lily glanced up at him to see that he was running his fingers through his already mussed hair. "Come off it."

"I'm serious! Marlene can teach me just as much as you can. I'd rather not be subject to sit here and withstand your annoying pranks of asking me out while you _pretend_ to help me."

"Pranks? You think me asking you out was a prank?"

"Well obviously." Lily rolled her eyes. "And not a very good one at that."

"They weren't pranks." James said, his eyes narrowed. He placed a hand on top of her books, stopping her from grabbing them up from the table and leaving. "And besides, I haven't asked you out in ages."

Lily paused. His words were true enough. She couldn't remember the last time Potter had asked her out. Maybe sometime in fifth year? Glancing at him, she saw the tense set to his jaw. His eyes were narrowed, but she could still see that there was a strange spark within them. Odd, she had never noticed his eyes before. What an interesting colour.

She shook her head. "You can't seriously tell me you'd rather spend your lunch here with me, working on Patronus spells rather than with your mates?"

James shrugged. "They'll probably wind up in detention somehow, so the way I figure it is you're saving me from the same fate."

He lifted his hand off the books, still looking at her with that intense gaze. Despite the opening, Lily didn't finish gathering her things but instead set the few things she had managed to pick up down on her desk.

"What makes you so good at this spell then, huh Potter?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms over her chest.

James grinned. "I'm good at everything I do."

Lily sighed in exasperation, making a move to begin gathering her things again. "This is pointless."

"Wait!" James exclaimed. "I was only joking. Let's start over. No more jokes."

Warily, Lily nodded. She re-crossed her arms and studied Potter. "Alright then, teach me."

James chuckled. "It's not that simple. To do a spell properly, you have to understand the point of the spell fully. What do you know about the Patronus?"

"It's a spell you use mainly to defend against Dementors. There are a few other uses, but they aren't common."

"Right," James nodded. "The point of a Patronus is to fend of a Dementor. Nasty things, those. Do you know why the Patronus works? It's the only thing that can stop one."

Lily shook her head. "Something to do with the way its formed, right?"

"Yes. A Patronus is formed using the caster's happiest memories." James continued. As he was talking, he leaned against the edge of her desk. Lily caught herself watching his movements. He was fitter this year, probably from all the Quidditch. Definitely not the scrawny boy that she had remembered him being. Strange, how someone could change so drastically in such a short amount of time. Funny what you missed when you avoided a certain someone like the plague. "It's said that the Patronus you form is a reflection of your soul. There are even legends that say that if people are soul mates their Patronus forms reflect that."

Lily snorted. "Soul mates?"

"I didn't peg you for a pessimist, Evans."

"I didn't peg you for a romantic, Potter."

"Touché." James grinned. "Not so much romantic, and like I said, it's a legend."

"How exactly do the Patronus forms reflect these so called soul mates?" Lily wondered.

"Well, most Patronus are animals. So I guess if two people are soul mates, they would have the same type of animal."

Lily nodded. "I suppose it could make sense. You know, if there were such thing as soul mates."

James shifted, causing his body to move closer to Lily. He didn't seem to be aware of their sudden closeness, but Lily was and she took a step back. Trying to cover her sudden discomfort, she fumbled for her wand.

"Alright. Teach me how to form one." She said determinedly. "I'd rather like to be able to eat before Potions."

James pushed away from the table, grabbing his wand as well. After demonstrating the correct wand motion and ensuring Lily had it down perfectly, he lowered his wand to his side.

"Alright Evans. Now here's the easy part. Think of a happy memory. Anything that makes you happy will work, you just have to think about it hard enough. If you have one memory that tops all the rest, focus on that one."

Lily nodded. She closed her eyes and thought hard. _What's the happiest memory you've ever had? Getting your letter to Hogwarts? Becoming Head Girl? _

"D'you have one?"

"I think so." Lily gripped her wand tighter, trying to focus on the feeling of happiness. "Yes, I think I'm ready."

"Go on then." James prodded.

"Expecto Patronum!" Lily shouted, holding onto her memories in her mind as best she could. She opened her eyes to see a small wisp of smoke come out of the end of her wand before it disappeared. "Ugh! What's wrong with me?"

"Don't be so hard on yourself Lily. You'll get it."

"I don't see how."

"Tell me what you were thinking about. What's your happiest memory?"

"I was thinking about the day I got my letter to come to Hogwarts. And the day I found out I would be Head Girl."

James scoffed. "Those are your happiest memories? Out of your whole life?"

Lily nodded, tilting her chin up defiantly. "What're yours then? If mine are so awful, I want to know what yours are. Probably some prank you pulled with your mates, or some time you got in trouble, isn't it?"

"It's not any of those things." James replied, looking a little red in the face. He ran a hand through his messy hair once again. "It doesn't matter what I think about. It matters what _you _need to think about to be able to produce one."

Lily couldn't help but be curious. Potter seemed oddly reluctant to discuss his happiest memory. What could be so embarrassing that he was blushing over it?

"C'mon. After all the trouble you've given me over the years, you can't indulge me and tell me your secret happy memory?" Lily teased, forgetting for a moment that James was supposed to be someone that she stayed away from, and moved closer to him.

James grew redder and cleared his throat, glancing away from her and then quickly back. "Er…we're getting off track. Here, I'll show you how its done, then you can try again."

James turned, lifted his wand, and after a moment of concentration exclaimed, "Expecto Patronum!"

A burst of bright light filled the room, nearly blinding Lily with its intensity. From the tip of James's wand shot a huge stag. It stood nearly six feet tall and on its head was a magnificent set of antlers. Lily had never seen something so grand. As she stood there watching, the stag pranced in a circle around her before disappearing.

Lily turned to James with wide eyes. "You _have _to tell me what you were thinking of! That was the best Patronus I've ever seen."

"It was nothing." James shrugged. "Swear."

"You can't produce a Patronus, let alone a six foot tall glowing one, by thinking of nothing." Lily argued.

"Fine." James groaned, shoving his wand in his pocket with one hand and ruffling the hair at the back of his neck with the other. "I have a lot of happy memories that work just fine, but my Patronus only appears like that when I think about what would make me more happy than anything in the world."

"Which is?" she prodded, moving closer to him. She had completely abandoned all her usual qualms about being close to James. This was far too interesting.

"Er…nothing. Just what I wish the future could be like. You know, having a family, joining the Order…it all works out the way I want it to." James cleared his throat again and met Lily's gaze.

There was something there, in his eyes, that made Lily's stomach tighten into a knot. It wasn't entirely unpleasant, if she were being honest. They sat there in silence for a beat, looking into each other's eyes as the tension rose. Lily was the first to look away.

"So that works then? Thinking of something you want more than anything?"

"As long as you focus on the feelings it would give you. Happiness has to be the focus or the spell won't work."

Lily nodded. "I think I'll try that."

"You need to relax a bit as well. You're too focused on trying to force it to work. You just have to trust that it will."

Lily blinked. Who was this James Potter standing in front of her? He wasn't making fun of her. He wasn't making jokes or being obnoxious or arrogant. In fact, he was actually being helpful. Lily didn't know quite what to think of that fact.

"I'll try my best."

"Here, let me help." James said, moving closer to her. Lily tensed as he stepped behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Close your eyes."

"I don't think this…"

"Close your eyes Lily. Let me help you."

Lily stifled her objections and closed her eyes. She rolled her shoulders under his hands and tried to let the tension ease out of them. With James being so close to her, she could smell the faint smell of broom polish, dewy grass, and cinnamon.

"Okay, I'm ready."

"Now tell me what you're thinking of. What future would make you the happiest?" James's voice was soft and quiet by her ear.

Lily took a deep breath and began to picture the future that she wanted for herself.

"I'm an Auror. I've joined the Order, but there isn't much need for them anymore because Voldemort is dead and all of his followers were killed or apprehended." Lily began. She could feel herself smiling as she pictured it, her future.

"Go on." James urged, giving her shoulders a light squeeze.

Lily thought harder, letting a vision of her perfectly imagined future fill her mind. There she was, coming home from a small mission, back to her small cottage house in a small village. She walked through the gates, vaguely aware that someone was accompanying her, though she wasn't able to see their face. As she neared the house she knew was hers, the door opened, and two small children poured out, running towards her crying, "Mummy! Daddy!" The boy was older, with a head of messy black hair and her own green eyes. He was followed by a little girl with bright red hair. As they neared, she bent to hug them, laughing as she did. It was then that she noticed the unique hazel colour of the little girl's eyes. Amongst it all, there was a faint scent of broom polish and cinnamon…

"Expecto Patronum!" she shouted, breaking herself out of her thoughts before the surprised of what she had thought up broke through the happiness she had felt when the scene played before her.

She opened her eyes and was shocked to see that there was a bright light, almost as bright as James's had been, pouring from her wand. She watched, stunned, as a large figure burst forth from her wand and began circling the room at a run. Part of her was too stunned that James's teaching had proved successful. Another part was still reeling over the vision of her future. And the final part of her was internally melting down at the appearance of her Patronus. Because the figure loping around the room wasn't any random figure.

It was a doe. Her Patronus was a doe.

"_It's said that the Patronus you form is a reflection of your soul. There are even legends that say that if people are soul mates their Patronus forms reflect that."_

Her Patronus was a doe. And James…James's was a stag. _WHAT?_

Lily felt James's hands drop off her shoulders. He was obviously surprised as well. Lily couldn't bring herself to move. She merely sat there, watching as her Patronus finally faded away. Oh Merlin, she might be sick.

"Lily…" James started. She could feel him reaching for her again so she moved away and his hand brushed her arm before falling back to his side. She would be lying if she said the path his fingers had traced on her skin didn't have goosebumps.

"I…need to go." Lily said quickly, keeping her head down so their eyes would not meet. "Thanks…er, thanks for the lesson help."

"Lily," he tried again. She ignored him, stepping quickly back to her desk and scooping all of her things up in one go. "I really think we should talk about this."

With a hurried wave over her shoulder, Lily raced out of the room, leaving one surprised and flustered James Potter standing there, staring after her.

Lily's mind raced. What could it mean? Her Patronus matched James's. She had never seen, or even heard, of two people having a Patronus that was the same form.

Other than what James had claimed, of course. But soul mates? _Her_? And _James Potter? _

Shaking her head, Lily continued to rush down the corridor. She _really_ needed a chat with her mates right about now. Maybe then she would have a little clarity about her future vision and the Patronus form.

Until then? Well, she would just go back to doing what she was good at. Avoiding James Potter.

**Author's Note: **Hello! Back again with a quick reminder to leave a review! Feedback fuels my desire to write and post in a timely manner, plus I love hearing from you readers! Much love, xox


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